[i]Sorry mother, sorry father. Sorry, sorry, sorry, but I have to do this.[/i]

That one thought, continued over and over inside of Mai's head, from the time she snuck out of the house just hours before to wandering aimlessly through the Route Twelve, all the way to Vermillion City dock, where she had finished her journey out of breath and a bit teary-eyed. That letter she had sent to the PRA was apparently accepted, to both her family's and her own surprise. That's when the argument happened, screams of, 'NO YOU CAN'T GO' which were then cancelled out by an equally loud, 'I WILL, I CAN DO THIS', and this continued on until they reached a stalemate, where Mai was then sent to her room in tears. Mr. and Mrs. Taniyama thought they had won the battle, but they did forget one important detail, and that was Mai's will to become a ranger. She had a ticket for the boat and determination, there was no way her those dumb, overprotective parents were going to hold her back, and so, when she was sure neither of them were around, Mai pulled herself over the wall of the house and ran free.

And now she was here, lying face-first in her cabin's bed, groaning as the boat swayed and lurched underneath. Mai had realized she was experiencing many 'firsts' at this time, including her first time being in a large city, her first time getting on a boat, and her first time experiencing sea sickness. She'd probably be a bit cheerier about all these firsts if she wasn't keeled over with an endless stomach ache and pounding head. After another moment or two of minor silence and a few soft groans, Mai forced herself to sit up, looking rather crossly at the door just a few feet away from the bed. Boredom clutched at her brain, and while she had packed many books and mind games the thought of thinking was a bit too straining right now.

"Perhaps," she spoke out loud, pushing a strand of brown hair behind her ear, "some fresh air will do me good." Her feet dropped from the bed, searching around quickly until she managed to find her simple, slip-on shoes, and then she was up and out of the room, walking with her arms outspread to clutch the corridor walls. Mai knew that the boat wasn't going to capsize, but the constant swaying was making her feel rather cautious, and so she wandered towards the deck, nearly spread-eagle, with a look of pure disdain. And then a noise, loud and unfamiliar, rang out above, and her heart nearly jumped from her chest. Her mind wondered about the reason for such a loud horn, and then she was climbing stairs and suddenly surrounded by salt-filled wind. Mai felt her eyes widen at the sight of clear blue skies and waters, and the smallest of smiles pierced her normally pouty lips. 

Mai moved to the front of the ship, trying to keep eye contact on the beauty in front of her so no one approaches her, and stared off longingly into the distance. Wingull cawed high above, flying in massive white flocks, some diving down into the water while others performed some interesting aerial dances. She had remembered reading about Wingull, noting that they made nests on steep sea cliffs and relied on gliding with updrafts caused by the sea. Not very strong Pokemon, but interesting nonetheless. Her attention was then caught by shapes below, and purple eyes locked onto a herd of Mantyke, another water and flying type. They could use their antennae to sense ocean currents, and were adorable. Mai leaned forward against the boat's railing, hair twirling messily behind her head in the sea breeze as she tried to get a better look, a wide smile giving her the look of a younger girl, and then she saw it. Land. Nature Preserve island. Her fingers tightened around the brass railing, lips pursing as worry and excitement churned in her stomach.

"I can do this." she whispered, trying to quell her fear, and then she was turning, the loose fabric of her white sundress swishing around her knees furiously as she nearly sprinted back down to the door-filled corridor. Once out of the wind, though, she felt her stomach begin to ache again, which slowed her fast pace into a steady crawl. No, no, don't stop now.

[i]'We're almost there.[/i]

The foghorn chimed again. They had arrived.

----

Within the next thirty minutes, they were docked, and Mai had managed to withhold her need to vomit all the way through. She was now back on the deck, watching with narrowed eyes as people descended down onto a dock via a rail-lacking staircase. Falling off would probably be a bad idea, so she would have to keep her self centered and calm, easy-peasy. Eventually, she was finally back on solid land, and while her legs felt somewhat wobbly Mai herself felt extremely light and ready for anything. The crowd (which Mai tried to stay on the outskirts of) was met by four other people, two girls and two boys, who gave them instructions on the tools that they soon received and then said they would be heading to some vacant bungalows. Mai accepted all the items with a small nod and shoved them into her hastily packed backpack, which included three pill bottles, under clothes, some money, plenty of books, and an ID.

And then they were walking, deep into the rain-soaked jungle, much to the discontent of her poorly-covered feet, which constantly sunk into deep, muddy pits. Ahead, people whooped and cheered, but Mai couldn't find her voice, and instead of joining the excitement she fell back a bit, watching over everyone with kind, if not shy eyes. Around, life chimed, Pokemon scuttled throughout the trees, and Mai felt her attention turn to the side, noting the many different species under her breath,

"Mankey, Aipom, Butterfree, Poliwag." Purple eyes scanned the leaves, a soft smile curling the corners of her lips.

"I didn't know so many different Pokemon can be found in one place." she whispered, clutching the hem of her white dress with excitement. 

[i]A Ranger, I'm going to be a Ranger![/i]